Nice to Meet You. I Have Breast Cancer — But I’m Still Going to the Concert.

38 years old. Single. Living alone in Tokyo.

In February 2026, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. 👀

BUT. This year also happens to be packed with concerts and travel I’ve been looking forward to — including a show in Italy (tickets won before the diagnosis, which is both hilarious and perfect timing w).

So I figured: why not document this whole ride?

Note: This blog is written in Japanese and translated into English with the help of AI. I’ve tried to keep the voice as true to the original as possible.

My Diagnosis

Stage 2b / Luminal B (HER2-negative)

• Hormone receptor: Positive (ER+/PgR+)
• HER2: Negative
• Lymph node involvement: Yes (axillary)

How Did I Find It?

About five years ago, a benign lump was found during a routine checkup. After that, I started going in for annual screenings at my regular clinic — mammogram and ultrasound every year.

Around three years ago, a suspicious shadow showed up. But since it wasn’t growing, we kept monitoring it.

Then this year, the shadow finally decided to level up.

Doctor: “Oh, it’s gotten bigger.”

Me: “Ah, has it? Haha, okay then.”

Very calm exchange, all things considered. I got a confirmed diagnosis at the clinic, a referral letter, and off I went to a larger hospital.

Choosing to Freeze My Eggs

At the larger hospital, a CT scan confirmed lymph node involvement in my armpit.

My cancer type requires suppressing hormone production — which means my period would stop, and pregnancy would be off the table for the foreseeable future.

That’s when my doctor casually asked: “Do you want to freeze your eggs?”

I had no partner. I hadn’t really thought about whether I wanted kids. I panicked.

But thanks to the hospital’s seamless coordination, I was connected with a gynecologist that same day. After talking it through — including a conversation with a nurse who gently pointed out that keeping the option open might save future-me from regret — I decided to go for it.

The timing was almost suspiciously perfect: I was just coming off my period, which is apparently ideal. So we started immediately.

Two weeks of tests and self-injections later — egg retrieval, complete.

7 eggs. I laid 7 eggs. 🐣

Current Treatment

After egg freezing, I started chemotherapy in April.

The plan: Paclitaxel (weekly × 12 rounds) → AC (biweekly × 4 rounds).

Losing my hair felt like it would genuinely break me mentally, so I’m also doing scalp cooling (PAXMAN system)alongside treatment.

I’ll be tracking how that goes here too.

Still Training 💪

I’ve been doing Les Mills home workouts for about 6–7 years. (Chubby, but consistent. w)

My current lineup:

• BODY COMBAT
• BODY PUMP
• Shape
• Stretch

Aiming for about 3 sessions a week. My goal through treatment: keep my muscle mass. I’ll write more about what it’s actually like to exercise during chemo — the honest version.

I’m not going to make this heavy. But I’m going to make it real.

If even one person going through something similar finds this useful, that’s enough.